1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed generally to systems and methods for providing location information, and more specifically, to systems and methods for providing fraud-proof location identification using machine readable tokens.
2. Description of the Related Art
A growing number of businesses offer rewards and other programs that are based on customers “checking-in” at physical locations using mobile devices, such as smartphones. For instance, a customer may scan a two-dimensional barcode posted in a store using his or her smartphone to indicate that the customer is physically located at or near the store. However, the digital nature of the check-in process makes it possible for malicious users to check-in without actually being present at the location. For example, someone could broadcast an image of the check-in barcode so others can check-in remotely. This has resulted in widespread fraud, and the development of expensive mechanisms to counter it.
Several systems exist that mitigate or prevent check-in fraud, with varying levels of success and cost. One class of solutions is based on analyzing context, such as a phone's geo-location, or the time of the check-in. Such methods are nonetheless vulnerable to fraud (e.g., location data can be falsified). Other systems require specialized software running on a computing device at the business location. These systems may be more secure, but are relatively expensive. The computing hardware is typically a point-of-sale terminal, a tablet computer, or a smartphone, and requires network connectivity for setup, and in most cases, during check-in transactions.